The present invention relates generally to a system and method for a paint pen dispenser, and more particularly, to a syringe adapter valve for a paint pen kit that utilizes a plug movable from a sealing, retained position to a free-floating position inside a paint tube housing in order to provide a fluid transfer and/or mixing of fluids.
In one aspect, the subject technology presents a system and method for making and using a one use, two fluid component ‘touch-up’ paint pen kit for touching up paints that require hardeners (i.e. epoxies, urethane, etc).
In one aspect, the subject technology comprises a valve and a valve housing for an adapter that allows combining of an existing off-the-shelf syringe and open ended paint pen, wherein the valve utilizes a plug (a stainless steel spherical ball in one aspect) that distorts the valve as pressure from the syringe is applied to the ball, thus opening the valve and combining the fluid material (e.g. paint pigment and urethane in one aspect). In one aspect, the ball is used as an agitator in the combined mixture to assist in mixing the fluids. The spirit of the invention contemplates a plug being restrained by a valve in a closed position that can be deformed under pressure to an open position to effectively allow the plug to be discharged. Accordingly, various valve topologies can be utilized in addition to those depicted herein.
An inferior paint pen product has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,988 to Knox et al., issued Oct. 29, 1996 (referred to '988 herein). The '988 device incorporates an internal disk that separates a tube into two chambers. Once an exterior ring is moved and the disk becomes dislodged, the material combines and is mixed. The '988 has numerous disadvantages, including that the system must be configured and filled at a factory with specially designed (expensive) equipment to set the disk and the exterior ring. Conversely, the subject technology can be filled with little or no special equipment.
The subject technology is has many other advantages over conventional systems, as presented herein, and as will be apparent to those of skill in the art after studying the subject technology, including allowing use of off-the-shelf syringe and paint pen components (results in decreased costs), and ease of use (e.g. initially filling).